At the final of the 2016 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League which took place on November 11, Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani lost the decisive match to Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito, which led to Shirai's frustration towards Iwatani, attacking her with the help of a returning Reo Hazuki (who went by HZK thereafter).[3] Following Shirai's loss back from November 11 HZK started a feud for the Wonder of Stardom Championship against Kairi Hojo which culminated on December 9, 2016, on the fifth night of the Goddesses Of Stars event.[4]Momo Watanabe joined the duo of Shirai and HZK nine days later together with the trio assuming the name Queen's Quest on November 27.[5]
HZK, Io Shirai and Watanabe won their first titles, the Artist of Stardom Championship, on January 7, 2017 by defeating Oedo Tai (Kagetsu, Viper and Kyoko Kimura).[7] Later in January, Watanabe suffered an ACL injury during training that forced her to go on a hiatus.[8][9] Following a match involving HZK and Shirai on February 11, Azumi came into the ring and requested to join Queen's Quest, to which Shirai accepted. Thereafter, Azumi would go by the ring name AZM.[10] On April 9, the Artist of Stardom Championship was vacated due to Watanabe being sidelined with her injury.[11] After seven days, AZM, HZK and Shirai teamed up to win the vacant Artist of Stardom Championship by defeating Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu and Rosa Negra) in the finals of a four-team tournament.[12] AZM, HZK and Shirai lost the Artist of Stardom Championship to Hiromi Mimura, Kairi Hojo and Konami on May 6.[13] AZM, HZK and Shirai won the Artist of Stardom Championship again on June 4 by defeating Hiromi Mimura, Kairi Hojo and Konami,[14] which they then lost to Team Jungle (Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona and Kaori Yoneyama) on June 17.[15] HZK, Shirai and Viper teamed up at Midsummer Champions from August 13, to defeat Team Jungle (Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona and Kaori Yoneyama) for the Artist of Stardom Championship.[16] At the 2017 Goddesses of Stardom League, which took place between October 4 and November 5, HZK and Shirai represented the stable, placing themselves in the A Block and scoring a total of five points.[17] On November 4, Watanabe returned from her hiatus.[18]
At the 2018 Stardom Draft on April 15, 2018 Bea Priestley, Chardonnay and Konami were drafted to Queen's Quest while HZK left because she was drafted by Oedo Tai.[19] Because HZK left Queen's Quest, the Artist of Stardom Championship held by HZK, Shirai and Viper was declared vacant.[20] On May 23, Watanabe defeated Shirai for the Wonder of Stardom Championship, culminating a friendly feud.[21] On June 17, it was announced that Shirai would leave Queen's Quest and subsequently World Wonder Ring Stardom to pursue a career in WWE.[22]
On January 19, 2020, at Stardom's 9th Anniversary show, Priestley teamed up with Oedo Tai's Jamie Hayter to win the Goddesses of Stardom Championship by defeating Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona and Konami), marking the first time when two cross-faction members held titles together. Priestley later turned heel on the same night and left Queen's Quest for Oedo Tai.[32] On February 8, AZM, Hayashishita and Watanabe lost the Artist of Stardom Championship to Donna Del Mondo (Giulia, Maika and Syuri).[33] On February 16, Onozaki retired from professional wrestling.[34] Later that night, Saya Kamitani joined Queen's Quest after unsuccessfully challenging Hayashishita for the Future of Stardom Championship.[35] AZM, Hayashishita, Kamitani and Watanabe all competed in the 2020 Cinderella Tournament on March 24. Only Watanabe reached the quarter-finals, where she lost to Giulia.[36] At Cinderella Summer In Tokyo on July 26, AZM won the High Speed Championship by defeating Riho and Starlight Kid, and Hayashishita and Kamitani won the vacant Goddesses of Stardom Championship by defeating Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona and Konami).[37] On September 28, at the 5Star Special, AZM, Hayashishita and Watanabe lost to returning guest performers Rin Kadokura, Takumi Iroha and Mei Hoshizuki in a six-woman tag team match.[38] At the 2020 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, Hayashishita and Kamitani participated as AphrOditE, and AZM teamed up with Watanabe as MOMOAZ.[39] MOMOAZ won the tournament by defeating Crazy Bloom in the finals on November 8.[40] At Sendai Cinderella 2020 on November 15, 2020, Hayashishita won the World of Stardom Championship by defeating Mayu Iwatani. Hayashishita subsequently became the new top star and the main focus of the stable,[41][42] while Watanabe remained the official leader.[a] Watanabe was acknowledged as the leader of Queen's Quest by Hayashishita after their title match on December 20.[47] On December 26, AphrOditE lost the Goddesses of Stardom Championship to Oedo Tai (Bea Priestley and Konami).[48]
All of the stable's members were known for wearing mask design inspired from Tiger Mask's until early 2022. For example, Momo Watanabe (left) and Saya Kamitani (right) wearing custom made masks.
At All Star Dream Cinderella on March 3, 2021, AZM lost the High Speed Championship to Natsupoi, and Hayashishita defeated Kamitani in an inter-stable clash for the World of Stardom Championship.[49] At Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 on April 4 Hayashishita successfully defended the World of Stardom Championship against former stable member Bea Priestley in what was Priestley's last match in Stardom.[50] On the first night of the 2021 Cinderella Tournament which took place on April 10, AZM fell short to Rina and Momo Watanabe to Starlight Kid in a Cinderella Tournament First-round match, while Utami Hayashishita scored a victory over Mina Shirakawa and Saya Kamitani over Tam Nakano in the same tournament stages.[51] On the second night from May 14, Saya Kamitani defeated Starlight Kid in a second-round match, while Utami Hayashishita fell short to Syuri.[52] Saya Kamitani won the 2021 Cinderella Tournament by defeating Himeka in the semi-finals and Maika in the final match. She issued a challenge to Tam Nakano for the Wonder of Stardom Championship as her granted whish for winning the competition. At Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 in Summer on July 4, Utami Hayashishita successfully defended the World of Stardom Championship by doctor stoppage after Natsuko Tora sustained a knee injury during the match.[53] For the 2021 5Star Grand Prix, Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani, AZM and Momo Watanabe were listed as participants of the tournament.[54] On the finals of the event from September 25, Momo Watanabe fell short to Syuri.[55] At Stardom 10th Anniversary Grand Final Osaka Dream Cinderella from October 9, 2021, Momo Watanabe, AZM and Saya Kamitani unsuccessfully challenged MaiHimePoi for the Artist of Stardom Championship.[56] At Kawasaki Super Wars on November 3, 2021, Momo Watanabe battled Starlight Kid in a time-limit draw for the High Speed Championship.[57]
Momo Watanabe incident (December 2021)
Momo Watanabe had been the victim of Starlight Kid's mind games as the latter's strategy to gain more recruits into Oedo Tai since Kawasaki Super Wars on November 3. Their feud degenerated into an eight-woman elimination tag team match in which both of them would be the captains of their respective teams. The losing captain would be forced to join the enemy unit and if Starlight Kid lost, she would have to unmask. The match took place on December 18, at Osaka Super Wars. With the match coming down to the wire and Queen's Quest holding a 2 to 1 advantage over Starlight Kid, Momo Watanabe betrayed her faction and hit her long-time tag team partner AZM over the head with a chair, handing the win to Oedo Tai and anointing herself the “Black Peach” of the group. Watanabe became the first leader of a Stardom faction to betray their own unit.[58]
Post-Momo Watanabe period (December 2021–May 2022)
At Stardom Award in Shinjuku on January 3, 2022, AZM, Kamitani and Hayashishita engaged in a brawl with Oedo Tai after their match against Fukigen Death, Saki Kashima and Ruaka. Obviously outnumbered, the three members of Queen's Quest received help from Lady C who rushed down the ring to try to save them. After Oedo Tai retreated, Hayashishita offered C a spot into the unit which the latter accepted so she was later announced to join the stable in the process.[60] On January 9, 2022, at Stardom in Korakuen Hall, Saya Kamitani, Utami Hayashishta and Lady C unsuccessfully wrestled Oedo Tai's Rina, Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid and Ruaka in a 4-on-3 handicap match. After their loss, the Queen's Quest members announced they will no longer wear their masks as they will move forward and away from the Momo Watanabe era.[61] At Stardom Nagoya Supreme Fight on January 29, 2022, Utami Hayashishita and AZM battled Oedo Tai's Momo Watanabe and Starlight Kid in a losing effort as a result of a grudge tag team match.[62] At Stardom Cinderella Journey on February 23, 2022, Utami Hayashishita teamed up with Lady C in a losing effort against Momo Watanabe and Ruaka, and AZM defeated Starlight Kid to win the High Speed Championship.[63] In the main event of Stardom New Blood 1 on March 11, 2022, Utami Hayashishita defeated a debuting Miyu Amasaki. Despite the latter's loss, Hayashishita was impressed by Amasaki's performance and invited her to join Queen's Quest, which Amasaki accepted.[64] On the first night of the Stardom World Climax 2022 from March 26, Saya Kamitani successfully defended the Wonder of Stardom Championship against Utami Hayashishita.[65] At Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2022, all the members of the stable participated in the namesake competition, with AZM and Saya Kamitani scoring the best results by making it to the second rounds of the tournament.[66]
At Stardom New Year Stars 2024 on January 3, Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani and AZM drew against Suzu Suzuki, Megan Bayne and Mei Seira in the second-ever edition of the Triangle Derby, result which prevented both teams from advancing further in the tournament.[81] At Ittenyon Stardom Gate on January 4, 2024, Utami Hayashishita, AZM and Saya Kamitani defeated Mirai, Ami Sohrei and Saki Kashima in six-way competition.[82] At Stardom Supreme Fight 2024 on February 4, Lady C and Miyu Amasaki fell short to Natsuko Tora and Momo Watanabe, while AZM and Utami Hayashishita teamed up with Nanae Takahashi and Mayu Iwatani to defeat Syuri, Mirai, Giulia and Suzu Suzuki.[83] At the Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2024, AZM, Miyu Amasaki and Lady C competed in the traditional tournament with AZM scoring the best results by becoming a semifinalist.[84] On March 31, 2024, at a house show from Yamagata, Utami Hayashishita has had her last match in Stardom in which she teamed up with the time's rest of Queen's Quest's members in a losing effort against Oedo Tai's Momo Watanabe, Natsuko Tora, Rina, Ruaka and Starlight Kid.[85]
The stable's downfall. Saya Kamitani's sole leadership (June-July 2024)
At Stardom The Conversion on June 22, 2024, Saya Kamitani, AZM, Lady C, Hina and Miyu Amasaki fell short to Oedo Tai's Natsuko Tora, Thekla, Rina, Momo Watanabe and Ruaka in a Ten-woman elimination tag team match. Per the stipulation, since Kamitani was the last wrestler eliminated, AZM, Hina, Lady C, and Amasaki all had to leave Queen's Quest, assenting Kamitani to remain the sole member of the unit in the process, therefore taking the leadership of the stable.[92] After dropping the High Speed Championship to Mei Seira on the second night of the Stardom Sapporo World Rendezvous event from July 28, 2024, Saya Kamitani attacked Maika during the latter's World of Stardom Championship match against Natsuko Tora. Kamitani then announced the dissolution of Queen's Quest as she aligned herself with the newly created unit of H.A.T.E. which took birth over the dissolution of Oedo Tai announced by Tora on the same night.[93]
^As reflected in her official profile on the Stardom website,[43] their Roster page [44] as well as being billed as [45] and referencing herself[46] as such after that point
^While Queen's Quest didn't choose a new leader right after Watanabe's betrayal, AZM was the most senior member of the stable having been recruited by the original leader Io Shirai and was therefore assumed to be the defacto leader of the unit. This is also reflected by the Stardom Roster Page that listed AZM in first place of all the members before Hayashishita took the leadership on May 15, 2022. All leaders have been positioned first of their stable since that page exists.
^On June 22, 2024 at Stardom The Conversion, all then-time members of the unit fell short to Oedo Tai in a ten-woman elimination tag team match. Per the special stipulation, Kamitani was the last wrestler eliminated, AZM, Hina, Lady C, and Amasaki all had to leave Queen's Quest, assenting Kamitani to remain the sole member of the unit in the process, thus taking the leadership of the stable.
^The trio of Priestley, Viper & Chardonnay while working in the UK built their own sub-unit of Queen's Quest known as Queen's Quest UK. The subunit quietly disbanded in 2020/21 with Priestley leaving Queen's Quest and all three eventually leaving for Stardom for other promotions.
^Hayter was not part of Queen's Quest by the time she won the titles with Priestley.
^Even if partially going under masks, if AZM, Watanabe and Konami lost the match they must have given them up completely.
^This was an eight-woman elimination tag team match in which Watanabe and Kid were their respective team's captains and if one of them lost they would be forced to join the enemy unit. Had Kid lost, she would have had to unmask.